


Raising Grace

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Schmoop, The teenaged years!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-25
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-12 23:44:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/817425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve learns to be a step-father through Grace's 13-year-old antics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Danny pushed the front door open with the toe of his shoe and entered the house awkwardly shifting the two heavy grocery bags that were precariously balanced in his arms. The egg carton was sliding dangerously close to the edge of the bag and one false move by Danny and he’d be cleaning up yolks and shell for the next 15 minutes.

The blonde man fast walked into the kitchen and dumped the grocery bags on the table managing at the very last second to grab the carton of eggs before it slipped completely out of the bag.

He sighed in annoyance. It was funny that whenever it was time to do the grocery shopping, Steve was nowhere to be seen. He knew the SEAL hated shopping. He always bitched about rude people and their shopping carts and how inefficient it was for Danny to walk up and down every aisle despite holding a grocery list. To Steve shopping was like a well-executed military operation – infiltrate, identify the target, capture and exfiltrate in the shortest amount of time possible. 

Danny pushed the bags farther back on the table and walked back into the living room to pull his keys out of the lock. He shut the door and turned around to see that yet another new, shiny object had been added to their house. He sighed again but this time with annoyance. Grace had been bugging him for an iPad for weeks now but he’d refused to buy her one. She already had an iPhone and a laptop and he felt that if she wanted something more, she could save her allowance and buy it herself.

But now a bright new iPad lay on the coffee table and it didn’t take a genius to know where it came from. His daughter had obviously manipulated Steve to get him to buy the device and it ticked Danny off. The detective understood that Steve adored Grace and loved to spoil her but this was getting out of hand. Grace needed to know the value of money and the importance of working for what you wanted and she wasn’t going to learn that lesson if Steve kept showering her with everything she desired.

Danny walked back into the kitchen and began unloading the grocery bags. He would have to talk to his boyfriend and make him understand but he’d have to be careful how he framed it. Despite what a hard-ass Steve could be in the rest of his life, he was surprisingly easy to bruise when it came to his relationship with Grace. Steve was convinced he had no parenting skills and was terrified of doing or saying something to screw up the young girl. In Danny’s mind that fear was keeping him from being the kind of role model and future step-father Grace needed.

His daughter’s high, happy laughter filtered up from the beach and Danny wandered over to the kitchen window and watched his two favourite people run out of the surf and grab their towels from the Adirondack chairs and begin to dry themselves. Danny couldn’t help feeling his heart clench at the look of pure adoration that Grace gave Steve or the pride and love that Steve returned. Danny knew he’d hit the jackpot when he and Steve got together. He didn’t think anyone else (besides Rachel) could love Gracie as much as he did but Steve disproved that.

The two sea creatures ran up to the house and spilled into the kitchen laughing happily and sprinkling sand everywhere.

“Oh hey Danno,” Steve called out with feigned innocence as he watched his lover unpack grocery bags. “You’ve already done the grocery shopping huh? I would have gone with you if I’d have known.”

Danny rolled his eyes as he stopped to give Grace a quick kiss on the forehead before opening one of the upper cupboards to put away the canned goods.

“Yeah right Steven. When I came to look for you you’d vanished. Well played.”

Steve suppressed a smirk as he began unpacking the items from the second bag.

“Well Steve couldn’t have gone with you anyway because he and I had an errand to do,” chirped Grace happily as she climbed up on one of the stools on the far side of the kitchen island.

Danny turned and gave her a glowering look.

“Yes I saw that little errand in the living room.”

“Isn’t it beautiful Danno?” she responded happily, purposely ignoring her father’s warning tone. “The guy in the store said it was the latest and the best.” She looked over at Steve with a besotted smile. “Steve is so generous.”

Danny grit his teeth in frustration.

“Grace I told you specifically that if you wanted an iPad you had to save your money and buy it yourself. That didn’t mean going to Steve and conning him into buying it for you.”

Steve shifted nervously as he stood by the fridge, a carton of milk held forgotten in his hand. 

“Danny I wanted to...” he began but stopped when Danny put up a hand.

“No Steve! You’re being manipulated by my daughter.” He turned to look back at the young woman. “Grace you know very well how I felt about this and yet you went behind my back and got Steve to buy that thing for you.”

Grace pressed her lips together in growing annoyance. She folded her arms across her chest stubbornly and Danny most certainly did not see himself reflected in that pose.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” the 13-year-old snipped. “You can’t afford to buy me stuff like this but Steve can so he does.”

The kitchen fell deadly quiet as Danny stared at his daughter in shock and growing anger. As he glared at her she swallowed thickly and dropped her eyes away from her father’s face choosing instead to stare at the counter top.

“Grace,” Danny’s voice was low and hard. “I think it would be a good idea, a really good idea, for you to go upstairs and sit in your bedroom until dinner is ready,” he growled as he struggled to keep his voice under control.

Grace licked her lips nervously then slid off the stool and began to walk hurriedly towards the door to the living room.

“And leave that iPad where it is!” her father barked. The young woman stopped and turned back, her mouth open as if to argue, then obviously thought better of it and swiveled on one foot and pounded up the stairs to her room.

Danny turned to glare at Steve who still stood by the open fridge door looking like a little boy who’d been caught writing on the walls.

“Danny I...” Steve began nervously. “I thought I was doing something nice.”

Danny leaned against the kitchen counter and rubbed his face tiredly.

“You did do something nice Steve but that’s the problem. You’re always nice. You’re always the fun one, the generous one, the one who can be talked into anything. It’s me that has to be the mean one, the one that makes her do her homework or go to bed. You end up being the hero all the time.”

Steve finally remembered the carton of milk in his hand and shoved it in the fridge before closing the door and turning to look back at his lover.

“I get it. I do. I’ll...I’ll take the iPad back.”

Danny snorted in frustration and threw his hands out to the side.

“Oh yeah please do that Steven. So not only will I be the loser father who can’t afford to buy his daughter everything she wants, now I’ll be the asshole that won’t let her have the gifts her beloved Steve buys for her.”

Steve shrugged impotently.

“First of all she doesn’t think you’re a loser and second of all...I don’t know what you want me to do to fix this.”

Danny let his shoulders drop as the anger drained from his body. He walked the two steps over to his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and looked up at him pleadingly.

“Babe, we’re going to be married next month. You’re going to be a step-father. You need to step up and take on that role – the good stuff and the not-so-good. I need you to toughen up a bit with her. You don’t need to be a tyrant but I need her to understand that you’re the other adult in this house and that you support my decisions. When I’m not here I need you to be in charge and that includes enforcing the very few rules we give her.”

Steve wrapped his arms around Danny flattening his hands against his lover’s back. 

“I just really want her to love me,” the SEAL replied in a small voice.

Danny huffed out an incredulous laugh and freed one arm to cup Steve’s face with his hand.

“Love you? Steve that child adores you. She thinks you walk on water. I’m glad she feels that way but based on some of her recent behaviour I don’t think the teenaged years are going to be terribly easy around here. I need to know that you’re with me on this.”

Steve gave his boyfriend a small smile then stooped down to give Danny a gentle kiss.

“I’m with you babe. I’ll be your back up.”

**********

A quiet, abashed Grace came down stairs an hour later and stood nervously in front of her father and his boyfriend where they sat on the couch watching a movie.

“Danno,” she began quietly, her voice quivering slightly and tears stinging her eyes. “I’m very sorry for what I said about you not being able to afford stuff. You’ve always been so amazing. I know you went without a lot of things to give me what I need and I’m sorry I made you feel bad and that I went behind your back.”

The child shifted her gaze to Steve.

“Steve I’m sorry I talked you into buying me that iPad. It was wrong.”

Steve nodded but stayed quiet as Danny continued to gaze at his daughter knowing she had more to say. She turned watery eyes back to him.

“If...if you want we can return the iPad to the store.”

Danny considered the thought for a moment. It was sorely tempting but knowing Grace she’d probably already downloaded a crap load of apps and programs that would be a bitch to clear from the iPad’s memory.

“No, you don’t have to return it but I’m going to deduct $50 a month from your allowance until you’ve paid Steve back for it.”

Grace looked up at her father aghast then turned her pleading eyes on Steve who shifted in his seat but remained solid.

“I agree with your father Grace,” the SEAL announced in what he hoped was a firm-sounding voice. 

The little girl pulled her lips between her teeth and nodded. She stared at the ground for a moment and then looked up at her father.

“Are you still mad at me?”

Danny reached out and pulled his daughter onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m not mad anymore. I know it’s difficult sometimes going to that private school with all those rich kids and their fancy toys but Monkey I want you to grow up knowing the pride that comes from earning the things you want. Steve and I were both raised that way and we feel it’s important for you to understand that too ok?”

Grace nodded and burrowed against Danny’s chest and sighed happily. 

**********  
Two months later

“I don’t understand why you won’t let me go,” whined Grace as she slouched on the kitchen chair, her long hair still a rat’s nest from just getting out of bed.

Danny stood in front of the stove, frying pan at the ready and grabbed a whisk to mix the eggs for their morning omelette. 

“Because you’re not going to spend all day at that mall,” the blonde man replied evenly. “You were there for most of the day last Saturday and that’s enough. Steve and I only get every second weekend with you. I don’t mind you spending some of that time with your friends but not every weekend and not hanging out at that stupid mall blowing money uselessly.”

“But...”

“Grace,” Danny snapped, trying hard not to get angry. Everything had been going well since the iPad incident and Danny really wanted to just enjoy his weekend with his baby girl without any more dramatics.

“I said no and I mean it. No more discussion. Now go upstairs and get cleaned up and then we’ll have breakfast.”

The young woman rolled her eyes and harrumphed up the stairs muttering about over protective fathers bent on destroying their children’s happiness. As she reached the top of the stairs Grace froze when she heard the house phone ring. She hoped maybe it was Dustin Choi calling for her. Serena said that Akoni told her that Dustin liked Grace and maybe would ask her out. Her heart sank when she heard her father talking to Uncle Chin.

Grace started down the hallway to her room but stopped again when Danno said “ok I’ll be right there. No, Super SEAL is out for his morning swim across the ocean. I’ll leave him a note.” Grace’s heart began to beat rapidly. An idea had formed in her mind and even though she knew it would get her in trouble eventually, it was totally worth it to have the chance to meet Serena and Carly and Mei Ling at the mall.

“Grace?” Danno called from the foot of the stairs. She hurried to the top of the stairs to look down on him. “Yeah?”

“I have to go into work for a little while. One of our reports got eaten by our server or something and I have to rewrite it. I’ve left a note for Steve but can you help him finish breakfast?”

Grace smiled brightly.

“OK Danno.”

Grace watched as her father grabbed his car keys and left the house. She did a little pirouette at the top of the stairs and ran down the hall to her bedroom. This was going to work out perfectly.

**********

Steve walked into the house pulling a tee-shirt over his head. He stopped abruptly in the doorway to see breakfast only half made and a tearful Grace sitting at the table looking forlorn.

“Hey sweetie what’s the matter?” Steve inquired coming to kneel down beside Grace and taking one of her hands in his. “Where’s Danno.”

Grace sniffled loudly.

“I just got up a few minutes ago and found that note that said he had to go to work,” she replied in a quivering voice pointing to the note Danny had left on the table.

Steve stood and read the note quickly. He looked down at his step-daughter in confusion.

“It says he’ll be back soon so why are you upset?”

Grace turned her wet, deep brown eyes up to Steve, the words tumbling out of her.

“Because Danno promised to take me to the mall to meet up with Serena and the others. We were supposed to shop for a bridesmaid’s dress for Serena ‘cause her older sister is getting married and Serena wants me to help her choose her dress but now I can’t because Danno’s not here to drive me,” the young woman wailed dropping her face in her hands. “Serena’s going to be so disappointed.”

Steve pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He remembered this age when everything was a huge deal that the fate of the world rested on. He schooled his features to look appropriately sympathetic. He reached down and took Grace gently by the chin and turned her wet face up to him.

“Hey sweetie it’s no big deal. I’ll drive you to the mall.”

Grace’s eyes lit up and she sat up straight.

“You will?”

Steve grinned at the sudden change in emotion.

“Give me four minutes to shower and change ok?”

Grace leapt from her chair and threw her arms around Steve’s still damp body giving him a quick hug.

“Thanks Steve. Serena’s going to be so happy.”

**********

Danny returned home just after 11 to hear Steve whistling in the kitchen as he cleaned up the breakfast dishes. The blonde man entered the house quietly and walked on tip toe up behind his husband, fingers outstretched ready to tickle.

“Hey Danno,” Steve greeted him blandly, not looking around.

Danny made a disgusted sound in his throat and dropped his hands limply to his side as Steve turned and gave him a smug grin.

“How do you do that anyway?” Danny griped, pissed that he’d never yet been able to take Steve by surprise.

“SEAL training Danno,” Steve lectured officiously, chest puffed out slightly. “Always be aware of your surroundings.” Steve bent at the waist and planted a fleeting kiss on Danny’s lips. “Besides, I always know where you are.”

Danny waved his hand to bat away the word then opened the fridge door and pulled out a carton of orange juice.

“What do you want to do today?” the detective asked while he dug in the upper cupboard for a clean glass.

“I need to go to the hardware store,” replied the SEAL as he folded the tea towel he’d been using and thread it through the oven door handle to dry. “Why don’t we do that then have lunch?”

Danny chuckled as he dropped down in one of the kitchen chairs.

“Oh Grace would just love that. We need to do something a bit more kid-friendly babe.”

Steve leaned against the counter, his arms folded lightly across his chest.

“It doesn’t matter because Grace is at the mall with her friends. We’ve got hours before...”

“What?” demanded Danny, sitting bolt upright, his hands clenched into fists. “What the hell are you talking about? Why is she at the mall?”

Steve swallowed thickly and straightened up himself. He knew he was in shit.

“I...she said she was expected by her friends. She said you’d forgotten to take her so I offered.”

Danny slapped on hand on the table causing Steve to jump slightly.

“That little brat!” the detective shouted, feeling his blood pressure rising.

“She didn’t...?” Steve began as Danny sat seething in his chair. Steve took a step closer, a look of disgust on his face, hands wide out to his sides. “Are you saying...? 

Danny gave him a withering look that telegraphed what an idiot Danny thought he was. 

“I told her specifically that she could not go to the mall. But when I had to leave this morning she obviously saw her opportunity to manipulate you – again!”

Steve tightened his jaw and began to pace the room distractedly.

“She lied to me!” he spat out, “she boldly lied to my face.”

Danny sank down in his chair and shook his head in disappointment.

“Welcome to the teenaged years. We’re going to have to nip this sort of behaviour in the bud Steve or we’ll never be able to trust her again.”

Steve stopped and turned a flushed and angry face to his husband.

“What are you going to do to punish her?” he demanded.

Danny raised his eyebrows at the taller man then stood up from the table and walked over to Steve and patted him on the chest.

“Not me babe, you. You’re going to figure out her punishment and you’re going to see it through.”

Steve’s eyes widened and he licked his lips nervously.

“But Danno, I don’t...”

The blonde man shook his head and slid his hand up his husband’s chest to pat his husband’s face in an annoyingly smug way.

“This is it babe – reality; where the rubber meets the road. You wanted to have a family, a daughter, well you’ve got one and now it’s time for you to start being a dad. If she’s ever going to respect you she’ll need to know that you won’t be manipulated anymore and that there are consequences to her actions.”

Steve opened his mouth as if to argue then snapped it shut again. He nodded once.

“Yeah, ok. I’ll take care of it.” 

Skirting around his husband, Steve marched into the living room and snatched his truck keys from the side table near the door.

“You’ll never find her in that giant mall babe,” Danny called after him knowing exactly what Steve was about to do.

“Oh I’ll find her alright,” Steve growled in response as he pushed open the screen door. “She’s going to wish I hadn’t but I’ll find her.”

**********

Danny, who was drowsing on the couch, almost jumped out of his skin when the front door flew open and an angry, tearful Grace stormed into the house with an equally angry Steve following behind. The moment she spotted her father, the young woman ran to his side, arms flailing.

“Danno I’m so embarrassed, do you know what Steve did?” she demanded.

Her father stared up at her unsympathetically.

“I have a pretty good idea.”

“Not only did he walk into the middle of Victoria’s Secret and order me to come home with him but he made me take back everything I’d bought and then dragged me home like a five-year-old.”

Grace was almost panting with rage as she stared down at her father who looked strangely impassive.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?” she demanded.

“What were you doing in Victoria’s Secret?”

She stared at him in shock. She expected Danno to rant and rave, not sit there like a friggin’ statue.

“What was I...aren’t you mad at Steve for doing that to me, for humiliating me in front of all my friends? He’s not my father you are! He has no right.” she all but shrieked.

Danny stared up at his daughter, his sweet, innocent Gracie. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and beg her not to grow up. The other part wanted to spank her – something he’d never done and would never do.

“What you did to Steve this morning was lousy Grace so I’m letting Steve determine your punishment and be the one to enforce it.”

Grace looked down at her father in shock. 

Steve, who had been standing quietly by the door, took a step into the room.

“Go to your room Grace. I’ll deal with you later,” the SEAL commanded firmly.

Grace swiveled to glare at the taller man.

“I don’t have to listen to you. You’re not my father! I’m calling my mom!”

Steve took another step closer to the girl and gave her a hard look.

“Go to your room. Now!”

The young girl jumped slightly at his tone then burst into tears and fled up the stairs slamming her bedroom door behind her. As Danny watched sympathetically, Steve seemed to wilt in front of him.

Danny reached out a hand and Steve stepped closer to take it. The taller man clutched at his husband’s hand like it was a lifeline.

“It’s ok, babe, “Danny said encouragingly. “You’re doing just fine. Take some time to calm down then go talk to her. Tell her what her punishment is and stick to it, ok?”

Steve shook his head sadly.

“I hate having her angry with me. What if she...?”

Danny climbed to his feet and grabbed Steve firmly by the shoulders giving him a gentle shake.

“She won’t hate you Steve. She may say she does for a while but she won’t. You’ll always be her Super Steve but maybe now you’ll also be her dad.”

**********

Steve knocked twice on the door then pushed it open ignoring Grace’s call to “go away!”

He walked into the centre of her bedroom and couldn’t help the little ache in his heart from seeing the little girl he loved so much sitting on her bed against the headboard, her face buried in the synthetic fur of the stuffed monkey she’d had since she was born.

“Grace...” Steve began but stopped when she raised her wet, puffy face to glare at him.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she whined, a little hitch in her voice.

Steve walked to the bed and sat gingerly down on the edge of it.

“Sure, that’s fine. I’m going to do all the talking anyway.”

Grace huffed in annoyance and held the monkey up to her face again as Steve took a moment to consider his words.

“Grace, I’ve come up here to apologize.”

The young girl dropped the monkey to her lap and looked at her step-father in shock. She quickly changed her expression to one of outrage.

“You should too, you totally humiliated me,” she snapped.

Steve gave her a small, cold smile and shook his head.

“No, you misunderstand me. I’m not apologizing for what I did today, you deserved that for lying to me and manipulating me. No, what I’m apologizing for is for trying too hard to make you like me by spoiling you.”

Steve shifted on the bed as he gathered his thoughts. Self-expression was never his strong suit, Danny would attest to that.

“Grace,” Steve continued his voice softer and tinged with regret. “I’ve loved you from the moment I met you and I knew you liked me. But when I fell in love with Danno I knew it was vital that you and I got along or Danno wouldn’t stay with me and I was terrified of losing him, and you. That’s when I decided that if I bought you things and spoiled you I could make you love me and I would finally have the family I’ve always dreamed of.”

The little girl swallowed hard and dropped her eyes away from her father’s husband as she clutched her monkey a little tighter. 

“That wasn’t fair to you or to me. I should have let our relationship develop naturally instead of trying to force it. The truth is...” Steve took in a shaky breath as he picked a piece of invisible lint from the leg of his pants. “The truth is that I wanted this so badly – you and Danno – that I didn’t trust myself to be able to earn your love properly so I tried to bribe you. That was wrong and I apologize.”

Steve lifted his head and looked directly at Grace’s tear-stained face.

“But now things have to change. Danno’s right, I need to be a father figure to you. I’m not Danno, he’s your father and he makes the decisions about you, but I am the other adult in this house and it’s time I started acting like it. So from now on there are going to be fewer gifts and treats and we’re going to have a more normal family life.”

“What does that mean?” Grace asked nervously.

“It means I stop trying to be a hero to you and start trying to be a father.”

Steve sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. 

“And that starts with punishment for today’s behaviour. You’re grounded for two weeks,”

As Grace began to argue Steve raised an eyebrow giving her one of his patented SEAL glares. She quieted immediately and shrank back against the headboard.

“I’ve already spoken to your mother and she’s agreed to enforce the punishment at her house as well. You’ll lose your phone privileges for the two weeks and you’ll come directly home after school – except for the nights you have cheerleading practice – and you won’t be able to have any friends over.”

Steve swallowed hard but knew he had to carry on and see this through.

“Also, during those two weeks when you’re here visiting Danno and I you will be assigned extra chores over and above what you normally have to do.”

Steve looked intently at the girl struggling not to let her quivering bottom lip soften his heart.

“Gracie you didn’t just lie to me and deceive me this morning,” he continued letting the hurt he felt seep into his voice. “You made a fool out of me in front of Danno. You made me feel stupid and useless, like I don’t have what it takes to be a good father. I want to be a good step-dad to you Gracie. I want to be someone you can trust and count on. But this morning you violated that trust and I don’t know if I’m more disappointed in you for doing it or me for falling for it.”

Grace began sobbing quietly into her stuffed monkey as Steve stood and looked down at her regretfully.

“I love you sweetheart, that I will never question. That will always be true. I just hope someday you can love me enough to treat me with more respect.”

With that Steve turned and walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind him. He walked several steps down the hall and slumped against the wall, pressing his forehead to the wallpaper as he fought to get his emotions under control.

**********

Grace wasn’t seen for the rest of the day or most of the evening. The plate of food Danny left outside of the door was still untouched at 9 p.m. – the usual time she would be getting ready for bed.

As Steve and Danny sat down by the shoreline in their deck chairs, holding hands as they looked out to sea, they began to worry that their daughter wouldn’t speak to them before they took her back to her mother’s house tomorrow afternoon.

Danny glanced over to look sympathetically at his husband’s dejected form. He gave the other man’s hand a firm squeeze.

“I know it’s hard babe, believe me I know, but you did the right thing.”

Steve nodded silently. He knew it was the right thing to do as well but that didn’t make it any easier.

The two men turned in their chairs when a small cough was heard from behind them. Steve almost laughed in relief when he spotted Grace walking slowly up to them, her head hanging and her clasped hands twisting nervously in front of her. The young girl walked around the chairs and stood in front of Steve who sat silently waiting for her to speak. Finally she looked up into his eyes.

“Steve...I’ve very sorry for what I did today. It was stupid and mean. I didn’t think about how it would hurt you, I just thought about getting my own way. I was dumb to lie to you and I don’t blame you for punishing me.”

Steve opened his mouth to speak but had to clear his throat first.

“Thank you Grace,” he replied gravely. “I appreciate your saying that to me.”

A small smile flitted across the child’s face.

“I want you to know too that I love you. You didn’t have to buy me stuff to make me love you, I already did. You’re a good step dad and I’m glad you’re married to Danno and I’m glad we’re a family.”

Steve wanted to say something in reply, he wanted to say several things, but nothing would come out around the lump in his throat. Instead he held out his arms and Grace threw herself into his embrace and they held tight to each other.

Danny had to blink back tears as Steve grinned over Grace’s shoulder at him. He didn’t think he’d ever seen his husband as happy as he was in this moment. 

Grace was right. They were a family.

 

The end.


	2. A visit from Aunt Flo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not fair! Steve wasn't trained for this!

Steve licked his lips nervously and dry swallowed. He felt a trickle of sweat run down his neck and he tightened his jaw to control his rising panic.

God damn it he wasn’t trained for this! It was way out of his area of expertise and he didn’t have the knowledge or experience to make a proper decision. What if he chose wrong? He shivered involuntarily. No, failure was not an option. He had to make the right choice!

He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and took in a deep breath. He could do this. He was a grown man, a naval officer; there was nothing to be frightened of. He just had to decide!

He opened his eyes and reached out a shaking hand towards the intimidating looking box...

 

**********

 

Danny left five days ago, called back to New Jersey to testify at the retrial of a particularly brutal crime boss. Steve would have liked nothing more than to accompany his husband on the trip but 5-0 was too busy and besides, the couple was saving their vacation time for a long overdue honeymoon in Greece.

Then yesterday Rachel had called to say that Stan's mother had had a heart attack and they had to fly to Connecticut. The couple and baby Charles would be gone at least a week and Rachel did not want to pull Grace out of school. Steve had immediately offered to take Grace but Rachel had been hesitant until the 13-year-old girl had insisted she wanted to spend the week with her step-father. Rachel finally agreed.

Steve wouldn’t admit it to anyone but he’d been a bit nervous about the idea of having his step-daughter spend so much time with him. For one thing they’d never spent more than a few hours alone together. What if they ran out of things to talk about? Besides, Grace was a teenager now. It was more difficult to keep her amused then when she was a child.

But like the good SEAL he was, Steve took the time to plan the mission and had prepared a long list of possible activities he and his step-daughter could do together when she wasn't in school or doing her homework. Now he was looking forward to her visit.

When Friday afternoon rolled around Steve had hoped to leave early to pick Grace up from school but soon it became obvious that his workload would prevent that from happening. With a sigh of disappointment the Commander had called Grace’s friend Mei Ling’s mother and asked her to get Grace when she picked up her own daughter. It wasn’t unusual for Grace to spend a couple of hours home alone on a Friday afternoon when her father and step-father couldn't get home immediately and Steve had made sure she knew how to keep herself safe and secure.

When Mrs. Kwan phoned at 3:45, Steve assumed she was calling to assure him that she’d dropped Grace off without incident but Steve’s chest tightened with the worried sound of Mrs. Kwan’s voice.

“It’s probably nothing Steve – they have pretty up and down emotions at this age – but Grace was very upset when I picked her up from school. She looked like she was on the verge of tears but when I asked her what was wrong she just kept saying nothing.”

“Did Mei Ling say if something happened at school?” Steve questioned as he dug around on his desk for his truck keys.

“She said she didn’t know if anything happened but she and Grace are in different classes so she might not have heard.”

Steve walked out of his office silently signaling to Chin and Kono that he was headed home.

“I’ll go home right now to see her,” Steve assured the young mother. “Thanks for calling Lien.”

 

**********

 

“Grace?” Steve slammed the front door behind him and began clearing the house looking for his step-daughter. If someone had bullied her at school or hurt her in any way he was going to go down there and kick some ass!

“Grace!” he called again as he jogged up the stairs.

He stopped in front of the young woman’s room to find the door slightly ajar. Grace lay on the bed wrapped in a housecoat, her hair wet as if she’d just taken a shower. She had her face buried in her pillow and she was crying piteously.

Steve felt his heart skip a beat. Jesus what had happened? Danny gone for five days and already things start to fall apart! 

Moving quietly Steve walked over to the young girl’s bed and sat down on the edge. He placed a warm hand on her trembling shoulder.

“Sweetie? What’s wrong Grace?

The young woman shook her head and continued to cry. Steve gently tightened his grip on her shoulder.

“Honey come on, you can tell me. I’m Super Steve aren’t I? I can fix anything.”

“You can’t fix this,” Grace’s muffled voice wailed from deep inside the pillow. “I just want to die. I’m so humiliated.”

Steve sighed in frustration. He had little to no experience of teenage girls. When Mary was Grace’s age the two siblings were sent away from Hawaii to different parts of the country. Steve missed most of his sister’s teen years. Suddenly he was immensely grateful.

“Grace, please tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring me. Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?” Steve demanded feeling fear rising in his gut. The young woman shook her head and sniffled loudly.

Steve gently wrapped his hands around Grace’s shoulders and pulled her upright on the bed so that he could see her face. She didn’t struggle with him but she kept her head hanging low.

“Sweetie what happened? It will make you feel better if you get it off your chest, I promise.”

The young woman had stopped crying but just barely. Steve’s heart constricted at her defeated posture.

“I…it’s so embarrassing,” she whispered brokenly.

Steve pushed the hair off her face and began to gently stroke her head.

“You can tell me anything sweetie, even the embarrassing stuff.”

Grace let out a ragged breath and wrapped her arms tightly around her torso.

“It’s…I…I got my first period today,” she whispered, her face flaming in humiliation.

Steve sat frozen on the bed, his mouth opening and closing mutely for a moment suddenly wishing he were in a fire-fight in Afghanistan.

“Oh,” he finally managed, his voice sounding oddly croaky. “That’s…well that’s…good isn’t it?” He swallowed thickly and had to fight down the urge to flee the room. “It umm, means you’re a woman…doesn’t it?”

Grace sniffled loudly and seemed to fold over onto herself.

“That’s not the bad part.”

“Oh no?” Steve responded reluctantly. Where the fuck was Danny when he needed him? 

Grace finally lifted her tear stained face to look at her step-father. Steve’s heart melted at the swollen, blood-shot eyes.

“I didn’t know it was going to happen and I was wearing white pants and everyone saw!” the little girl wailed loudly, flopping back down on the bed and burying her face in the pillow once more.

Steve sat frozen in place, his hand hovering just above Grace’s shoulder. He didn’t have the first fucking idea what to do. Maybe he should call Rachel? But it was after midnight where she was and Stan’s mother was terribly sick. Steve wracked his brain. He could call Kono but he remembered her talking about heading to the north shore to camp out with some friends this weekend. No, he was in charge. He was Grace’s step-father and he would handle this. 

Oh dear god.

“Umm sweetie…m-maybe no one noticed?”

“Some of the kids did,” the young girl replied in a shaky voice. "I could see a few of the girls pointing and laughing. I ran to the bathroom and stayed there until school got out. One of the teachers came and found me and gave me a shirt to tie around my waist until I got to the car.”

Grace stifled a sob as she clutched the pillow tightly around her face.

“I’m never going back to that school – ever. I can’t show my face in there or I’ll die!”

Steve sighed and twisted his hands together impotently. 

“Sweetie I just…obviously I don’t know much about this particular situation but it’s really not as bad as you think, I promise. Of course it’s embarrassing but other embarrassing things will happen to you in life I'm afraid. You’ve got to hold your head up high and face it. Eventually the other kids will forget all about it.”

“What if they don’t?” asked Grace morosely.

“They will, I promise.” 

Steve closed his eyes tightly for a moment and sighed. He would have to tell this story. There was no way around it.

“Honey when I was not much older than you I was walking down the hall at school and someone pants'd me. He pulled down my pants in front of everyone.” Steve’s face blushed at the memory. Sometimes he felt like tracking down Alan Kamaka and punching him in the nose.

“I thought I would die that day too. Especially because I was wearing Superman underwear…” 

To Steve’s relief he heard Grace giggling into her pillow.

“The thing is I went back to school the next day and faced it. Some of the kids teased me but I made fun of it myself and made them laugh and soon they forgot all about it.” 

Steve did not mention running into Christy Morin and a few other high school friends on a visit to Hawaii a few years ago when she told the story loud enough for everyone in the bar to hear.

The dark-haired man reached over and began rubbing his step-daughter’s back gently.

“Hey, why don’t we try to put this out of our minds for a while? We'll go for a swim and then I’ll take you out for dinner. What do you say?”

“I can’t,” Grace replied miserably.

“Why not?”

The young woman rolled over on the bed to face Steve but she kept her eyes trained on a spot on the wall just to his right.

“Because I…I don’t have any…stuff,” she whispered.

Steve furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment then his eyes widened in understanding.

“Oh,” he returned hoarsely feeling even more out of his depth. He cast his mind about desperately. Was it possible Cath had left anything behind? No, she hadn’t been here in over two years, not since he and Danny got together. Anything Mary would have left would be so old it might not even be hygienic anymore.

“Well,” Steve announced as he climbed to his feet trying to look a hell of a lot more confident then he felt. “Well then…I guess I’ll just have to go and get you something.”

Grace’s eyes darted to his face in shock.

“You? But, won’t you be embarrassed?”

Yes! Steve thought. “No…why should I be? It’s a perfectly natural event. What’s the big deal?”

The SEAL nodded firmly and squared his shoulders.

“Yes, that’s what I’ll do. You stay here and I’ll run over to the drug store ok?”

Grace nodded mutely as he gave her an encouraging smile and turned to walk confidently out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door. It was only when he reached his truck that he sagged weakly against it, both elbows on the hood, his face buried in his hands. He knew nothing about what he’d always thought of as the ancient and hidden mysteries of the female menstrual cycle and he had no desire to learn about them now – especially from his step-daughter. Steve swallowed thickly and shook his head in dismay. If he and Danny ever adopted a kid it was going to be a boy, definitely a boy.

**********

 

Steve licked his lips nervously and dry swallowed. He felt a trickle of sweat run down his neck and he tightened his jaw to control his rising panic.

God damn it he wasn’t trained for this! It was way out of his comfort zone and he didn’t have the knowledge or experience to make a proper decision. What if he chose wrong? He shivered involuntarily. No, failure was not an option. He had to make the right choice!

He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and took in a deep breath. He could do this. He was a grown man, a naval officer; there was nothing to be frightened of. He just had to decide!

He opened his eyes and reached out a shaking hand towards the intimidating looking parcel…

The SEAL flinched and snatched his hand back as he became aware of someone coming up beside him. He looked over to the kind, dark eyes of the store’s pharmacist, a native Hawaiian woman in her mid-50s.

“You look confused,” she said gently laying a warm hand on his forearm and giving it a squeeze. She’d obviously been through this before. “Can I help you?”

Steve shifted from one foot to the other in embarrassment.

“Yeah, thanks, I…I have to get some of these,” he weakly waved a hand at the rows upon rows of feminine hygiene products in front of him.

The older woman nodded in understanding and Steve was certain he could see her mouth twitch with a barely contained grin.

“Of course,” she replied solemnly. “Did your wife tell you which kind she uses?”

Steve cleared his throat loudly and shook his head.

“No they’re um…they're for my step-daughter she…” he shrugged helplessly. “This is her, like, her first…you know?” Steve looked at the older woman with a pleading expression as if begging her not to make him say the words.

Her eyes widened with sudden understanding.

“Ahhh, she just started her period for the first time?”

Steve flushed and dropped his eyes to the yellow, scuffed linoleum floor.

“Er, yes…that’s right.”

The pharmacist patted Steve’s arms comfortingly. At least it was comforting to him and what did that say about his emotional state at the moment?

“Don’t worry dear. Men tend to be completely helpless about this sort of thing for some reason, but I think it’s sweet that you’re doing this for your step-daughter.” 

She gave him an encouraging smile then reached over and plucked several boxes of sanitary napkins and tampons from the shelves handing them to him one by one.

“Now these are for her heavy flow days…” she began instructively.

Steve couldn’t help the small strangled sound that surged up from his throat and he put up one hand palm toward her to stop her words.

“Yeah, it’s ok, thanks. I’m sure she knows what to do with them I just…thanks for helping me. I’ll just go pay for them now.”

Steve snatched the boxes from her hands and swiveled abruptly on the ball of his foot to quick march down the aisle towards the cash register, his embarrassing purchases clutched in his arms. He could have sworn he heard a small chuckle from behind him but when he turned to glance back at the pharmacist she was smiling benignly at him. He was never entering this store again,

Steve hurried to the cash register grateful no one else was in line. He dumped the boxes of items on the counter and avoided the smirk of the 16-year-old cashier as he dug in his pocket for his wallet.

The SEAL watched in growing annoyance as the young girl with bright pink hair tried to scan the box of sanitary napkins over and over but for some reason the item would not register on her computer. She grimaced at him and rolled her eyes.

“New system; still working out the glitches.”

As she picked up the phone next to her register Steve felt himself go cold with horror when he realized what was about to happen. He opened his mouth to stop her but it was too late.

“Price check on lane 2,” the young girl announced into the P.A. system, her slightly nasal voice booming throughout the store. “Summer’s Morning sanitary napkins, the extra absorbent 30 pad box.”

 

The end.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace keeps testing those boundaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope Grace isn't coming across as too much of a brat but...you know...teenager.

“Oh no! No way!” Steve dropped his spoon into his bowl of oatmeal with a clatter, shoved his newspaper aside and stood up from the kitchen chair giving Grace a glowering look.

The 13-year-old, who had just entered the kitchen in search of breakfast, looked up from her iPhone and regarded her step-father in confusion.

“Huh?” 

“You are not leaving this house dressed like that young lady!” Steve growled walking across the kitchen to stand over his daughter, hands firmly on his hips.

Grace looked down at herself then back up at Steve. She wrinkled her nose and shrugged insolently.

“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”

Steve closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath releasing it slowly. Danny had gone to court early so Steve was in charge of getting Grace fed and dropping her off at school. He wasn’t prepared for this particular wrinkle in his schedule. He opened his eyes and looked down on her again.

“Grace, I looked the other way when you dyed your hair purple. I said nothing about the nostril piercing. I didn’t make a peep about the ripped jeans or the goth makeup but this…this is the limit. You are not walking out of this house dressed like a…a…” Steve’s hands flew about in a very Danny-like gesture of frustration as he searched for the right word.

“A what?” Grace challenged narrowing her eyes at her step-father as if daring him to finish that thought.

“Like a Hooters girl!” Steve snapped back.

A smirk flashed across Grace’s face.

“Oh do you spend a lot of time with Hooters girls, dad?”

The SEAL’s face hardened and he took a step closer to his step-daughter and loomed over her. The young woman swallowed thickly. Grace knew Steve would never harm her and she wasn’t scared of him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be intimidating.

“You are not wearing that get up out of this house Grace Williams. Now go upstairs and change.” Steve jabbed an angry finger towards the staircase.

Grace once again looked down at herself then up at her step-father, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She couldn’t see what was so wrong with what she was wearing. Yeah the tee-shirt was tight and you could see a lot of cleavage thanks to the push up bra she’d bought last week. And ok, the skirt was really short and she had to keep tugging it down but it looked hot and everyone dressed like this. On Fridays her school let the students wear street clothes instead of those lame uniforms and Grace wanted to knock everyone’s eyes out, especially Kody Akina’s.

“Steve this isn’t the 80s. Everyone dresses like this now. Just because girls didn’t do it in your day doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Times have changed and people are not as scared of their bodies as they were when you were my age.”

“Grace,” Steve responded firmly. “You are 13 years old. You are too young to dress like that. As far as I’m concerned you will always be too young to dress like that.”

Grace sighed and shook her head. Steve was so out of touch and old fashioned.

“There’s nothing wrong with this outfit,” she whined.

“That skirt barely covers your…” Steve flushed and looked away. “…your bottom and that,” He waved a hand vaguely towards her suddenly ample chest making sure to keep his eyes carefully averted. “I don’t know how you even accomplished that particular look and I don’t care, but there is no way in hell I’m letting you walk out of this house looking like that.”

Grace stomped her foot angrily on the floor.

“Everyone dresses like this Steve. If I don’t I’ll be humiliated. People will like, laugh at me and taunt me. Is that what you want? Do you want me to be the joke of the school?” 

Steve crossed his arms on his chest and rolled his eyes to the ceiling at his step-daughter’s theatrics.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If your friends judge you on what you wear they aren’t very good friends.” Steve cringed slightly at that line. He was starting to sound like his father.

Grace ran her hand through her long brown hair in frustration and pushed out her bottom lip in a pout. Sometimes it was impossible to talk to someone as old as Steve.

“You don’t know what it’s like in school now. You’ve been out for way too long. People have to dress a certain way or they’ll be like, ostracized. No one thinks anything about wearing stuff like this.”

Steve pressed his lips together and regarded her sullenly for a moment.

“You are not going to school dressed like that,” he replied flatly.

Grace’s eyes flashed with anger.

“I bet if Danno were here he wouldn’t freak out about this.”

Steve raised his eyebrows at the girl then smiled in mock sweetness as an idea popped into his head.

“You think so? OK let’s test that theory.” Steve walked over to the kitchen table and picked up his iPhone turning to face Grace again.

“I’m going to take a picture of you and send it to Danno. If he says it’s ok for you to wear that costume to school then I won’t say another word.”

Steve had to suppress a grin as he saw Grace’s face go pale. He knew damned well his husband would never allow their daughter to leave the house dressed like a Miley Cyrus wanna be. He also knew Grace was stubborn like her father and wouldn’t back down easily.

The young woman’s face hardened and she lifted her chin defiantly.

“OK. Go ahead.” She responded, her voice not sounding quite as firm as she would want.

Grace threw her arms out to the side and glared into the camera as Steve snapped a photo.

He e-mailed the picture to Danny’s phone and the two stood quietly in the kitchen staring at each other in a battle of wills. Barely a minute passed before his phone rang.

“McGarrett!” he barked even though he knew Danny was on the other line. He listened for a moment then handed the phone to his step-daughter.

“Danno wants to talk to you,” he announced, failing to keep the glee out of his voice.

Grace stepped over and took the phone with a slightly shaking hand. Steve was only privy to one side of the conversation.

“Danno?’’

“Yes, but…”

“But all of the girls are…”

“I’m not a baby I should be able to…”

“I don’t look like a trollop whatever that is!”

“That’s what Steve said but…”

“Danno I…”

Steve had to turn away to stifle his laughter. He’d been on the receiving end of many a Danno rant and knew the little girl would not win this argument. Still, he had to admire her courage.

Grace sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.

“Fine! I’ll change but if I become a freak and lose all of my friends it’s your fault.”

Grace jabbed the off button and thrust the phone back at Steve. She turned on one foot and stomped out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. Steve grinned happily as he sat back down at the table to begin reading his newspaper again. 

 

The end.


End file.
